I’ve done several blog posts on my language journey to being a polyglot. One of the reasons for coming to Spain as an expat was to improve my Spanish skills. Before arriving, I also studied Portuguese and Russian. Although I did decide to hold off on Russian for the time being. When arriving in Barcelona, I was shocked at how much I overestimated my Spanish skills. Now, months into my time here, I’m disappointed in my lack of progress in my language journey.

Moving is hard. Also, moving to a new country is hard. Oh yeah, and moving to a country that doesn’t speak your native language is even harder. But there’s no point of living if you’re not up for challenges, right? A while back I wrote a post about how the best way to learn a new language is through speaking. Well, one of the best ways to do so is to immerse yourself in your target language.

This can be as simple and accessible as only consuming media in your target language. However, an even more helpful way to immerse yourself in your target language is to live in the country that speaks it. Of course this isn’t an option everyone can readily do. But I had the option and took it. To be able to immerse myself in my target language is a privilege, one I’m hoping to take full advantage of.

So, if you’d like to read about how I’m doing as I try to immerse myself in my target language, keep on reading.

As a language learner, I am constantly looking for more efficient and fun ways to learn a language. There are several apps and websites to use in order to supplement your language learning. One goal of mine is to continue to take lessons in the language I’m learning. So, it was essential that I choose a language tutor who fits my needs and can help me reach my goals.

But it’s not so easy choosing a language tutor. Some aren’t that great and others are overpriced. It can seem daunting to choose a language tutor that’s right for you, but don’t give up. I’ll list my top tips on what to look for as you choose a language tutor that’s great for you.

I previously discussed some of my favorite apps and online resources for language learners. One of the resources mentioned in that post was italki. Learning languages is a long road and there are several avenues you could explore to learn a language. Some people can afford to enroll in a highly intensive course. Others have the flexibility to move abroad and practice a language through immersion. But learning a language with italki is good for a variety of language learners.

If you’re like me and don’t currently have the flexibility nor budget for the two aforementioned methods, don’t fret! I know many people who have learned a language (or several languages) without breaking the bank. For those interested in learning a language with italki and what it has to offer you during your language learning journey, continue reading.

For many years I thought that if I didn’t have access to a class or I wasn’t living in a foreign country, that I wouldn’t be able to effectively learn a language. I have since realized how wrong I was. Lucky for those of us today we have access to an abundance of resources online, many of which are absolutely free. I’m not knocking classes or living in a foreign country. I took Spanish classes since middle school and I’m so thankful for that because it taught me grammar rules, basic vocabulary, recognizing patterns and how to study. And one of my dreams is to live abroad.

However, if those two options aren’t available to you right now or don’t interest you, I compiled a list of resources to help language learners. These include apps and websites that you can use from the comfort of your home or on your phone during a lunch break at school or work. No more excuses as to why you can’t learn a language because this is the ultimate guide.

If you’d like to discover what resources at right at your fingertips, keep reading.

This is time for me to hold myself accountable. I’ve been slacking with my language learning journey. I’ll admit, the past few months have been a whirlwind of stress and that’s definitely contributed to my lack of dedication. However, I need to remind myself why I started this language learning journey in the first place and why I want to continue on it.

Sometimes it’s hard to remind ourselves that we have ups and downs in life. After going a month without looking at anything Russian a part of me was like “I might as well just quit, I still haven’t even mastered the alphabet!” But what will that do? I am not going to learn it any quicker by giving up. I’m only going to be disappointed with the fact I fell off in the first, disappointed that I quit and disappointed that I can’t speak Russian.

Part of me was thinking to write a post on goals I will set for my language learning routine. That may be cool, but I wanted to take a different focus. I want to remind myself why exactly I am studying languages. Why did I want to commit to Spanish, Portuguese and Russian? Why do I eventually also want to learn French, Italian and Dutch? If you’re interested in knowing or also need some motivation, keep reading.

Welcome back to another post. While I was thinking of what I wanted to right next I knew I wanted it to do with languages. If you read my #PathToPolyglotism post, then you know that I am learning languages. One of the languages is Spanish. I’d have to say that out of the languages I’m learning it’s my favorite. Sure, it may be partly due to the fact that I’ve been studying it for years so it’s not as much work or frustrating to learn. I’m looking at you, Russian.

However, I also love learning Spanish because it’s a beautiful language. It’s widely spoken, so it’s useful. Also, many of the places on my travel bucket list are Spanish speaking countries. Such as Spain, which I know in my heart I will love. One aspect of learning Spanish I’ve been focused on is listening. Yes, speaking a language is super important. But I’ve always struggled being able to understand people who were talking at a normal pace for them. Because it’s one thing to understand a video where someone is teaching Spanish, or your actual Spanish teacher. They’ll usually speak slower. That can give you a false sense of where your listening comprehension is.

If you’d like to learn how to consume media and content in Spanish (or whatever if your target language), keep reading.